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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fine — all right
  9. spell — magic
  10. mine — for digging
  11. spell — letters
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — employees
  14. swing — music
  15. rush — hurry
  16. staff — a stick
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — high quality
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com